The most common OWCP forms you'll encounter — with plain-language explanations of what each one does, when you'll need it, and who completes it.
OWCP uses specific forms for each phase of a federal workers' compensation claim — CA-1 (traumatic injury notice), CA-2 (occupational disease), CA-7 (wage-loss compensation), CA-16 (treatment authorization), CA-17 (duty status report), and CA-20 (attending physician's report). Below, the most common forms are explained in plain language — what each does, when you'll need it, and who completes it — followed by the complete directory of all DOL OWCP forms with links to the official PDFs. Looking for NuThera's own intake forms? Visit Patient Forms.
Note: Official OWCP forms are published and maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor. Always verify you're using the current version on the DOL OWCP forms page. The guides below are NuThera's plain-language companions — not replacements for the official forms.
File a CA-1 for a traumatic injury — an event, accident, or incident that occurred during a single workday.
File a CA-2 for an occupational disease or illness that developed over time — repetitive strain, chronic conditions, exposure-related illness.
File a CA-2a when a previously accepted work injury flares up again after you've returned to work — without a new workplace incident.
The form for claiming wage-loss compensation when you can't work — used after Continuation of Pay ends (traumatic injuries) or from the start for occupational disease claims.
Authorizes initial medical evaluation and treatment for a work-related injury within the first 60 days of injury.
Your treating physician's report on your ability to perform your regular duties. Critical for return-to-work planning.
The detailed medical report connecting your diagnosis to work-related causation. One of the most important documents in an OWCP claim.
Our pre-visit intake packet for federal workers and DOL-covered patients — demographics, medical history, medications, and consents. Fill it out on your computer before your first visit; claim-stage forms are completed with our team in the clinic.
Internal NuThera form documenting current work restrictions, duty status, and clinical reasoning for employer and agency use.
Provided by your NuThera provider at your visit — no download needed.
Every form published by the Department of Labor for the federal workers’ compensation program, with links to the official PDFs. Forms marked “fillable” can be completed on your computer before printing.
Not publicly downloadable. Issued by your employing agency via AQS or ECOMP — ask your supervisor or workers' comp coordinator, then bring it to your first visit.
Provider-only form, available to registered medical providers inside the OWCP Web Bill Portal. NuThera handles this for our patients.
Mileage only — reimbursed at the GSA POV rate in effect on your travel date (72.5¢/mile for 2026). Since March 14, 2026 DFEC and DEEOIC claimants can file online via the WCMBP Claimant Portal (log in through ECOMP), with no paper form required.
Parking, tolls, transit, rideshare, and lodging — not mileage. Combining the two on one form is a common cause of rejection.
Tip: if a DOL form won’t open in your browser, download it and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader — the official PDFs sometimes don’t display correctly in browser viewers. Directory verified June 2026 against the official DOL forms page.
It depends on how the injury happened. File a CA-1 if it resulted from a specific event during a single workday — a fall, a lift, an accident. File a CA-2 if the condition developed over time from repeated activity or exposure, such as carpal tunnel, hearing loss, or a toxic exposure illness. If a previously accepted injury flares up again without a new workplace incident, file a CA-2a for recurrence.
Two different deadlines apply and they are frequently confused. Filing within 30 days protects your Continuation of Pay — up to 45 calendar days of your regular salary. The FECA statutory deadline for the claim itself is 3 years from the date of injury. Missing 30 days costs you COP but does not end your claim.
Three reasons account for most cases. First, more than one week has passed since the injury — an agency is not required to issue a CA-16 beyond that point. Second, you filed a CA-2 for occupational disease, and CA-16s are generally not issued for those claims without prior OWCP approval. Third, your supervisor is unfamiliar with the process. Request the form in writing and keep a copy of the request.
Your treating physician completes both, not you. The CA-17 is the duty status report describing what work you can and cannot perform, and it should be updated at every visit where your restrictions change. The CA-20 is the attending physician's report connecting your diagnosis to work-related causation — the single most determinative document in an OWCP file.
Only some of them. The Department of Labor publishes official Spanish versions of the CA-17, the CA-20, and the OWCP-5a, 5b, and 5c work capacity evaluations. The forms a claimant files personally — CA-1, CA-2, CA-7, and CA-16 — exist in English only. Completing them in English does not weaken a claim; the medical evidence decides the case.
Every two weeks for as long as your wage loss continues. The first CA-7 should be filed before your Continuation of Pay ends, around day 30 to 40. If you lost intermittent days rather than a continuous block, submit Form CA-7a alongside it.
The 957A covers mileage only, reimbursed at the GSA privately owned vehicle rate in effect on your travel date. The 957B covers every other travel expense — parking, tolls, public transit, rideshare, and lodging. Combining mileage and expenses on a single form is one of the most common causes of rejection. Since March 14, 2026, both can be submitted online through the WCMBP Claimant Portal, accessed by logging in through ECOMP.
¿Prefiere leer esto en español? Formularios de OWCP explicados en español.
Call NuThera. Our team completes OWCP medical documentation every day.